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Rev.  Jaazaniah  Crosby,  D.  D. 


Annals  of  Charlestown 

in  the  County  of  Sullivan,  New  Hampshire 

=— by 

JAAZANIAH    CROSBY 


Published  by 

The  NEW  HAiMPSHIRE  HISTORICAL 

SOCIETY 

1834 


>   A   N 


Reprinted  by 

The    Novelty    Press 

Charlkstowx,    New  Hampshire 

1905 


INTRODUCTORY 

THE  writer  of  these  Annals,  published  by  "The  New 
^  Hampshire  Historical  Society'Mn  1834,the  Rev.  Jaazaniah 
Crosby,  was  born  in  the  town  of  "Cockermouth",now  He- 
bron,on  the  3rd.  day  of  April  1780, in  a  log  cabin,  and  work- 
ed hard  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  eighteen  years 
old,  when  desirous  of  obtaining  an  education,  he  walked 
eighty  miles  to  Exeter,  where  he  entered  Phillips  Academy. 

Here  he  studied  two  years  on  a  charity  foundation, 
and  in  1800  entered  Harvard  College;  graduating  in  1804, 
partially  supporting  himself  meanwhile,  by  writing  in  the 
office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  Courts. 

Immediately  after  graduation  he  returned  to  Exeter, 
where  he  acted  as  assistant  teacher  for  a  year,  and  then 
commenced  the  study  of  theology  under  Rev.  Dr.  Appleton, 
then  of  Hampton,  afterwards  President  of  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege. Here  he  came  under  the  influence  of  Rev.  Dr.  Buck- 
minster  of  Portsmouth,  by  whom  he  was  encouraged  to  pro- 
ceed, and  assisted  in  his  studies,  and  was  finally  licensed 
to  preach  in  1808,  by  the  Piscataqua  Association,  Dr.  Buck- 
minster  acting  as  Scribe  and  writing  his  certificate  of  li- 
cense. He  preached  his  first  sermon  at  Greenland,  and  in 
1809  preached  for  some  months  at  Lyndeborough,  and  also 
at  Freeport,  Me.,  thence  coming  to  Charlestown,  where  he 


received  a  unanimous  "call",  and  was  installed  in  1810  o- 
ver  the  South  Parish. 

Of  a  genial  and  sympathetic  nature,  he  naturally  fell 
much  under  the  influence  of  Dr.Buckminster,  and  followed 
him  in  the  new  movement,  which  at  the  beginning  of 
the  last  century,  broke  away  from  the  severe  Calvinism  of 
the  Puritans,  and  abjured  the  thunders  of  Sinai,  for  the 
milder  teachings  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  This  genial  nature 
and  his  sympathy  with  all  their  feelings  and  thoughts  made 
him  intensely  popular  with  his  parishioners,  particularly 
with  the  younger  ones,  and  he  had  an  innate  love  of  fun 
and  merriment  which  endeared  him  to  them  especially, 
and  he  could  tell  a  good  story,  and  enjoy  a  good  joke  with 
any  of  them.  The  church  v/hich  he  describes  in  the  Annals 
was  for  many  years  the  only  one  in  the  village,  and  was 
always  well  filled,  the  people  driving  in  from  North  Charles- 
town,  South  Charlestown,  "Hemlock"  and ''the  Borough", 
in  big  wagon  loads  every  Sunday.  One  of  my  earliest  recol- 
lections is  of  Deacon  Sam  Putnam's  big  Bass  Viol,  which 
before  the  purchase  of  an  organ,  filled  a  prominent  part  in 
"When  rolling  years  shall  cease  to  move",  of  grand  old 
"Denmark". 

Dr.  Crosby  never  preached  controversial  sermons, 
and  he  says  at  the  close  of  his  "Annals"  speaking  of  the 
religious  character  of  Charlestown,  "that  the  people  did  not 
care  enough  about  religion  to  quarrel  about  it"!  This  state 
of  peace  continued  until  1835,  when  a  "Revival"  largely 
instigated  by  people  from  other  towns,  resulted  in  the  e- 
rection  of  a  Methodist  Church,  which  however  only  lasted 
a  few  years,  and  the  building  has  been  converted  into  ten- 
ements. 

This  was  followed  in  1839,  by  a  Congregational  So- 
ciety of  the  old  fashioned  Orthodox  type,  formed  by  some 
of  the  people  who  clung  to  the  traditions  of  their  fathers, 
and  which  is  still  in  existence,  as  well  as  an  Episcopal,  and 
a  Roman  Catholic  Society,  made  necessary  by  the  changes 
in  tlio  Dopiilation. 


Dr.  Crosby  occasionally  exchanged  pulpits  with  the 
Unitarian  ministers  of  Keene,  Walpole  and  Dublin,  but  his 
most  frequent  exchange  was  with  the  good  old  Orthodox 
minister  of  Springfield,  Father  Smiley,  who  was  wont  to 
say,  "Brother  Crosby  is  in  a  greivous  error;  but  I  love  Bro- 
ther Crosby."  Father  Smiley  was  a  little  dried  up  looking 
man,  and  a  great  contrast  to  Dr.  Crosby's  portly  figure,  and 
I  remember  the  delight  of  the  young  folks,  when  he  popped 
his  head  up  in  the  pulpit  one  morning,  and  announced  as 
his  text,  "I  am  the  Rose  of  Sharon,  and  the  Lily  of  the 
Valley." 

He  had  one  favorite  serm^on,  on  The  Prodigal  Son, 
in  which  he  described  the  older  brother  as  '  *a  good  honest 
fellow  out  in  the  field,  digging  potatoes",  and  which  "Aunt 
Polly"  Bellows  said  she  had  heard  seventeen  times! 

But  this  is  not  relevant  to  Dr.  Crosby.  —  Personally 
as  I  have  said  he  was  rather  portly,  of  medium  height, 
with  a  large  head,  and  a  very  high  forehead,  and  a  gener- 
ally benevolent  expression.  He  had  a  habit  when  talking  of 
crossing  his  hands  on  his  chest,  and  rotating  his  thumbs  a- 
bout  each  other  which  amused  the  children,  of  whom  he 
was  very  fond;  and  another  one  of  repeating  in  his  prayers, 
petitions  that  the  Lord  would  make  his  congregation,  '  'a 
peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works." 

Harvard  College  conferred  on  him  the  degree  of  Doc- 
tor of  Divinity  in  1853,  forty  nine  years  after  his  gradua- 
tion. On  the  15th.  of  December,  1864,  his  parsonage  was 
burned  over  his  head,  and  although  he  escaped  with  his  life, 
he  died  at  the  home  of  his  son  in  Cambridge,  Mass. ,  from 
erysipelas,  brought  on  by  the  shock,  on  the  30th.  of  Decem- 
ber. 

His  rem.ains  were  brought  to  Charlestown,  on  the 
3rd.  of  January,  1865,  and  were  interred  in  the  beautiful 
Cemetery,  where  they  rest  among  those  of  the  great  ma- 
jority v/ho  had  listened  to  his  ministrations,  and  by  whom 
he  was  respected  and  beloved. 

The  church  which  he  describes  in  his  Annals  w^as  de- 


stroyed  by  fire  in  March  1842,  and  on  the  walls  of  its  suc- 
cessor, whose  dedicatory  sermon  he  preached,  can  be  seen 
the  following  tablet.  — 

Rev.  Jaazaniaii  Crosby,  D.  D. 
Born  in  Hebron,  N.  H.,  April  3,  1780 

Graduated  Harvard  College  1804 

Ordained  Pastor  of  this  Church  1810 

Died  in  its  ministry  December  30,  1864 

Surviving  most  of  the  members  of  his  original 
parish,  yet  he  renewed  the  circle  of  his  friendship 
in  his  advancing  years,  and  his  parishioners,  with 
other  friends,  have  united  to  erect  this  Memorial 
of  his  worth  and  of  their  grateful  affection. 

The  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  is  first  pure,  then 
peaceable. 

How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet 
of  him  v/ho  publisheth  Peace. 

During  the  last  ten  years  of  his  ministry,  he  was  pro- 
vided with  an  assistant  or  Associate  Pastor,  the  Rev.  Ad- 
ams Ayer,  Edward  Barker,  and  Livingston  Stone  succeed- 
ing in  that  capacity. 

Samuel  Webber. 


South  Parish  Church,  1905 


Annals  of  Charlestown 


««dl{«<4c<444HARLEST0WN  is  situate  in  a  delightful 
«^  •<  and  fertile  valley,  bounded  on  the  east 

•<  ffy  «<  by  a  range  of  high  hills,  and  on  the  west 
•<  %/ ^  •^  by  the  Connecticut  river.  Although  they 
e^  ^J  J^  have  not,  like  the  mountains  and  rivers 
«^  •<  of  other  regions,  been  made  the  theme 

e,3je^e<«^c4«<«<<4  of  the  poct's  soug,  it  rcQuires  but  little 
aid  from  the  imagination  to  believe  them  equally  entitled 
to  the  same  honor.  But  the  portion  of  the  town,  peculiarly 
adapted  to  awaken  the  attention  of  the  traveller,  is  the  vil- 
lage. As  he  views  it  in  its  secluded  loveliness,  guarded  by 
the  barriers  of  mountain  and  river,  he  might  pardonably 
fancy  it  secure  from  the  vices,  which  contaminate  the 
world  without,  and  be  ready  to  trace  in  its  beauty,  and  its 
seeming  peacefulness  and  innocence,  a  resemblance  to  an- 
cient Eden.  But  let  him  rest,  when  imagination  shall  have 
carried  him  thus  far,  lest,  if  his  investigation  proceed,  he 
find  that  there  are  not  impassable  barriers  against  the  evils 
and  vices,  which  are  the  universal  portion  of  mankind. 

The  village  is  situate  between  tv/o  meadows,  called 
the  upper  and  iov/er  meadow.  The  former  contains  about 
two  hundred  acres,  and  the  latter  (called  also  the  great 
meadow,)  about  five  hundred.  The  soil  of  these  is  alluvial 
and  exceedingly  fertile  in  all  kinds  of  produce,  necessary 
to  the  sustenance  of  man  and  beast.  There  are  other  mead- 


ows  of  different  sizes,  which,  together  with  the  two  alread- 
y  mentioned,  contain  about  twelve  hundred  acres.  The 
length  of  the  town  is  about  thirteen  miles,  and  its  breadth 
varies  from  three  to  four  and  a  half  miles-  The  number  of 
inhabitants  is  about  1700,  and  has  varied  very  little  during 
the  last  twenty  years. 

The  first  settlement  of  Charlestown,  originally  called 
Number  Four,  (usually  written  No.  4, )  was  in  1740,  under 
the  authority  of  Massachusetts.  The  first  account  found  in 
the  records  of  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  relative 
to  the  settlement  of  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut,  now 
called  Charlestown,  is  a  report  of  a  committee,  stating  that 
it  was  expedient  to  lay  out  a  range  of  towns  from,  or  be- 
tween, the  Merrimack  and  the  Connecticut,  and  on  each 
side  of  the  last  mentioned  river.  This  report  was  made  on 
the  15th  of  January,  1735,  and  was  voted  to  be  concurred 
in;  but  when  the  committee  was  appointed,  or  for  what  pur- 
pose, whether  for  that  embraced  in  the  report,  or  some  oth- 
er, does  not  appear  in  the  record  of  the  report,  nor  is  any 
clue  to  it  to  be  found  by  a  careful  examination  of  a  full  in- 
dex, and  of  portions  of  the  records,  as  far  back  as  the  year 
1730.  On  the  subsequent  day,  (Jan.  16,  1735, )  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  above  report,  and  its  acceptance,  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  lay  out  the  range  of  Towns. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  1736,  is  found  in  the  records 
a  report,  purporting  to  be  a  further  report  of  this  commit- 
tee, begging  leave  to  amend  their  first  report  in  conse- 
quence of  having  found  upon  examination,  subsequent 
thereto,  of  other  grants  and  plans,  that  the  lower  town- 
ships as  first  reported,  interfered  with  those  laid  out  and 
designated  by  the  name  of  the  Ashuelot  townships,  which 
interference  they  had  corrected  in  a  plan  of  the  townships 
accompanying  the  report,  and  submitted  for  the  accept- 
ance of  the  General  Court.  This  report  as  amended  with 
the  accompanying  plan,  was  voted  to  be  accepted.  In  the 
records,  however,  is  found  no  mention  of  the  first  report; 
and  neither  of  the  reports,  nor  the  accompanying  plans, 


Village  Plot,  1754 


are  to  be  found  upon  the  files  of  the  State  Papers.  In  the 
amended  report,  which,  as  recorded,  is  very  short,  and 
merely  referring  to  the  plan,  it  appears  that  the  townships 
were  numbered  successively  from  1  to  9  inclusively;  and 
that  the  committee  had  given  hearing  to  applications  for 
grants  to  persons,  purposing  to  become  settlers  in  four 
townships,  and  had  appointed  a  time  in  the  month  of  May 
next  ensuing,  for  a  hearing  of  applications  for  grants  in 
the  remaining  townships.  After  this,  the  records  are 
silent  with  respect  to  these  townships,  as  far  as  shown  by 
the  index,  until  the  year  1749,  June  24,  when  a  vote  was 
passed  for  the  raising  of  100  men  for  the  defence  of  the 
western  frontiers,  and  in  assigning  the  distribution  and 
location  of  these,  it  is  specified,  that  25  of  them  should  be 
posted  at  No.  4,  which  was  the  same  now  called  Charles- 
town. 

In  June,  22d,  1750,  in  the  bill  voted  for  the  establish- 
ment of  forces  and  garrisons,  fifteen  men,  including  one 
captain  and  one  sergeant,  were  voted  for  the  post  at  No.  4. 

In  January,  23d,  1752,  in  a  similar  bill,  passed  for  the 
establishment  of  forts  and  garrisons,  the  captain,  one  ser- 
geant and  fifteen  men  were  voted  for  the  fort  at  No.  4, 
with  a  provision,  that  allowance  should  be  made  to  them 
for  billeting,  4s.  6d.  per  week  for  each  man.  In  June  14th, 
1753,  it  was  voted  to  withdraw  the  garrison  of  ten  men 
from  No.  4,  and  Capt.  Phinehas  Stevens  should  be  oflfi- 
cially  requested  to  take  charge  of  the  arms  and  stores  that 
were  public  property,  and  keep  them  safely  for  the  use  of 
the  government.  On  the  letter  files  is  found  a  copy  of  a 
letter  from  the  Secretary,  Mr.  Josiah  Willard,  to  Capt. 
Stevens,  requesting  him  to  take  this  charge,  as  the  gov- 
ernment had  determined  to  withdraw  the  garrison.  It 
would  appear  that  this  was  afterward  rescinded  or  sus- 
pended, probably  in  consequence  of  some  remonstrance 
from  the  settlers  of  the  town,  since  on  the  24th  of  the 
ensuing  January,  that  is,  in  1754,  there  is  a  vote  to  the 
effect,  that  no  more  pay  be  granted  to  the  garrison  of  ten 


men  at  No.  4,  and  ag-ain  directing  that  Capt.  Stevens 
should  be  directed  to  take  charge  of  the  arms  and  stores. 
Hence,  it  would  appear  that  the  garrison  had  been  main- 
tained several  months  at  the  expense  of  the  province  of 
Massachusetts,  after  the  first  vote  to  v.ithdraw  it.  On 
what  grounds  this  was  done,  does  not  appear  from  any- 
thing in  the  records,  in  the  acts  of  the  Court  on  file,  or  in 
the  files  of  letters.  The  last  vote,  however,  appears  to 
have  been  carried  into  effect,  though  apparently  not  wise- 
ly; since  on  the  26th  of  November,  of  the  same  year,  Gov. 
Shirley  sent  a  special  message  to  the  House,  to  recommend 
to  the  consideration  of  the  House  the  propriety  and  impor- 
tance of  affording  protection  to  No.  4,  although  the  same 
was  within  the  limits  of  New  Hampshire;  stating  as  the 
occasion  of  the  message,  the  receipt  of  a  petition  presented 
by  Capt.  Phinehas  Stevens  and  others,  inhabitants  of  No. 
4,  praying  for  aid  on  account  of  their  peculiar  exposure  to 
the  assaults  of  the  Indians.  In  this  message  Governor 
Shirley  dwells  on  the  importance  of  No.  4,  as  an  advanced 
frontier  post;  and  urges,  as  a  motive,  the  conciliating  of 
the  favor  of  his  Majesty,  which  he  thought  would  be 
especially  secured  by  their  granting  the  aid  solicited. 
From  some  reason  or  other,  no  proceedings  were  had  upon 
this  message,  at  least  none  appear  on  record  till  Jan.  9Lh, 
1755,  when,  on  consideration  of  the  above  petition,  it  was 
voted  that  Capt.  Phinehas  Stevens  should  be  authorized 
by  the  Captain  General  to  enlist  fifteen  men,  to  serve  from 
the  15th  of  February  to  the  IStli  of  October,  next  ensuing, 
or  till  his  Majesty's  pleasure  should  be  knov/n  on  the  sub- 
ject, provided  it  were  signified  before  said  15th  of  October. 
The  force,  thus  raised,  was  probably  disbanded  at  the 
time  assigned  for  the  period  of  enlistment,  since  on  the 
15th  of  February,  1756,  Gov.  Shirley  sent  another  message 
to  the  House  in  consequence  of  a  petition  from  the  inhabi- 
tants of  No.  4,  stating  their  apprehensions  of  an  assault 
from  a  combined  force  of  French  and  Indians,  and  that 
they  had  been  disappointed  in  their  expectation  of  aid  and 


protection  from  their  own  government.  The  message 
recommends  them  to  the  attention  of  the  General  Court, 
and  advises  that  the  aid  solicited  should  be  granted.  No 
immediate  proceedings  are  recorded  as  ensuing  on  this 
message,  nor  is  any  further  mention  made  till  June  10th, 
of  the  same  year,  when  it  is  recorded,  that  the  General 
Court  having  received  and  considered  the  petition  of  John 
Spafford,  in  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  of  No.  4,  praying  for 
aid  and  defence  against  the  Indians,  grant  to  him  leave  to 
enlist  within  the  province  ten  men,  to  be  in  pay  and  sub- 
sistence of  the  province  until  their  place  should  be  sup- 
plied by  Gov.  Shirley,  or  until  the  further  orders  of  the 
Court. 

This  force  was  accordingly  raised;  as  on  the  18th  of 
April,  1757,  appears  a  record  of  a  vote  to  dismiss  the  garri- 
son of  ton  men  kept  by  the  province  at  No.  4,  in  case  Lord 
Loudoun,  then  the  commander  in  chief  of  the  King's 
forces  throughout  all  the  provinces,  should,  as  it  was  ex- 
pected he  would  do,  station  there  a  detachment  of  the 
Royal  troops,  for  the  protection  of  the  inhabitants.  After 
this,  no  further  mention  is  made  of  No.  4  in  the  records  of 
Massachusetts,  save  a  very  brief  record  a  year  or  two  sub- 
sequent, to  "slight"  the  petition  of  the  inhabitants  of  No. 
4  for  aid;  no  mention  being  made  of  the  particulars  of  the 
petition,  or  the  occasion  of  its  presentation. 

The  first  settlement  of  Charlestown  was  by  three  fam- 
ilies from  Lunenburg,  Massachusetts,  by  the  name  of 
Farnsworth.  During  twenty  years  the  inhabitants  suf- 
fered, with  little  intermission,  from  the  ravages  of  the 
French  and  Indians;  and,  of  course,  became  more  familiar 
with  the  dangers  of  war  than  with  the  arts  of  husbandry. 
What  have  since  been  denominated  the  peaceful  labors  of 
the  husbandman  were  then  unknown,  for  the  tranquility 
of  the  laborer  was  perpetually  disturbed  by  the  apprehen- 
sion of  savage  incursions.  Instead  of  enjoying  the  privi- 
lege of  sitting  under  his  vine  and  fig  tree,  with  none  to 
make  him  afraid,  he  was  obliged  to  go  forth  to  his  labors 


with  the  implements  of  war  as  well  as  with  those  of  hus- 
bandry. Even  in  the  temple  of  the  God  of  peace  the  wor- 
shipper was  compelled  to  appear  with  the  weapons  of  war. 

In  1743,  the  inhabitants  of  No.  4,  began  to  consult  their 
safety  by  erecting  a  fort.  It  was  situate  a  few  rods  south 
of  the  meeting  house,  in  front  of  the  late  residence  of  Dr. 
David  Taylor.  It  covered  about  three-quarters  of  an  acre 
and  was  protected  on  the  north  by  picket  posts,  about  one 
foot  in  diameter  and  fourteen  feet  high.  From  the  house 
of  Simon  Sartwell,  near  the  meeting  house,  was  dug  a  sub- 
terranean passage,  leading  to  Col.  Abel  Walker's  cellar, 
and  thence  to  the  fort. 

The  first  depredations  by  the  enemy  on  the  borders  of 
New  Hampshire  were  made  early  in  the  spring  of  1746. 
No.  4  was  then,  and  long  after,  the  northern  frontier,  and 
of  course  exposed  to  peculiar  sufferings.  On  the  19th  of 
April  in  the  above  named  year  a  party  of  Indians  appeared 
at  No.  4,  burnt  the  saw  and  grist  mill  and  captured  John 
Spafford,  Isaac  Parker  and  Stephen  Farnsworth.  The 
captives  were  conveyed  to  Canada,  but  soon  obtained  their 
freedom. 

In  the  beginning  of  May  the  enemy  returned  to  No.  4, 
and  on  the  second  day,  while  a  few  people  were  near  a 
barn  about  sixty  rods  from  the  fort,  eight  Indians,  who 
had  concealed  themselves  in  the  barn,  fired  upon  the  party 
and  killed  Seth  Putnam,  one  of  the  foldiers  belonging  to 
the  fort.  Major  Josiah  Willard,  the  commander  of  the 
garrison,  with  two  soldiers,  ran  near  to  them  undiscovered 
and  fired  upon  them,  which  caused  them  to  retreat  in  great 
haste.  The  Indians  reported  to  the  prisoners  in  Canada, 
that  at  this  time  two  of  their  number  were  mortally 
wounded  and  died  soon  after. 

Another  contest  took  place  on  the  24th  of  May.  Capt. 
Paine  from  Massachusetts,  having  arrived  with  a  troop  of 
horse,  about  twenty  of  his  men  went  50  or  60  rods  from 
the  fort  to  view  the  place  where  Putnam  was  killed,  and 
before  they  discovered  the  enemy,  they  were  attacked  by 


CO 

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a  large  body  of  Indians,  who  immediately  endeavored  to 
cut  off  their  communication  with  the  fort.  Captain  Stev- 
ens, the  commander  of  the  garrison,  came  out  with  a  body 
of  men  for  their  relief  and  a  severe  action  ensued,  which 
continued  a  considerable  time.  At  last  the  enemy  fled; 
and,  as  was  supposed,  with  considerable  loss.  Stevens  lost 
Aaron  Lyon,  Peter  Perrin,  Samuel  Farnsworth,  Joseph 
Allen  and  Joseph  Marcy.  Obadiah  Sartwell  was  captured 
and  four  of  his  men  were  wounded.  The  Indians  in  their 
haste  left  some  of  their  guns  and  blankets. 

In  the  same  year,  on  the  19  th  of  June,  a  large  body  of 
the  enemy  again  appeared  at  No.  4.  Capt.  Stevens  and 
Capt.  Brown,  marching  with  about  50  men  from  the  fort 
into  a  meadow,  discovered  the  enemiy  in  ambush,  before 
they  had  time  to  fire.  Stevens  began  the  attack,  and  a 
severe  action  was  fought.  The  enemy  were  repulsed. 
Stevens  lost  none  on  the  spot,  but  Jedidiah  Winchell  was 
mortally  wounded  and  died  soon  after.  David  Parker, 
Jonathan  Stanhope  and  Noah  Heaton  were  wounded,  but 
recovered.  "Several  blankets,  hatchets,  spears,  guns, 
etc.,  were  left  on  the  ground,  which  were  sold  for  forty 
pounds  old  tenor. ' ' 

A  party  of  the  enemy  again  appeared  at  No.  4  on  the  3d 
day  of  August.  Suspicions  of  their  appearance  were  ex- 
cited by  the  barking  of  dogs.  Scouts  were  sent  out  from 
the  fort,  and  had  proceeded  but  a  few  rods,  before  they 
were  attacked  and  Ebenezer  Phillips  was  killed.  The  resi- 
due effected  their  escape  to  the  fort.  The  enemy  sur- 
rounded the  garrison  and  endeavored  for  three  days  to 
take  it,  but  finding  their  efforts  ineffectual  they  withdrew, 
after  having  burnt  several  buildings  and  killed  all  the  cat- 
tle, horses,  etc. ,  within  their  reach. 

In  the  summer  of  1746  Capt.  Ephraim  Brown,  from 
Sudbury,  arrived  with  a  troop  of  horse  to  relieve  Capt. 
Josiah  Brown.  The  Sudbury  troop  tarried  about  a  month, 
at  the  end  of  which  they  were  relieved  by  a  company, 
commanded  by  Capt.  Winchester,  who  defended  the  place 


till  autumn,  wlien  the  inhabitants,  fatigued  with  watching 
and  weary  of  the  dangers  of  the  forest,  deserted  the  place 
entirely  for  about  t\vo  or  three  months.  During  this  re- 
cess the  Indians  and  French  were  so  ice-bound  in  Canada 
that  the  frontiers  suffered  only  in  apprehension.  In 
March,  1747,  Capt.  Phinehas  Stevens,  who  commanded  a 
ranging  company  of  about  30  men,  marched  to  No.  4  and 
took  possession  of  the  fort.  He  found  it  uninjured  by  the 
enemy  and  an  old  spaniel  and  a  cat,  which  had  been 
domesticated  before  the  evacuation,  had  guarded  it  safely 
through  the  winter,  and  gave  the  troops  a  hearty  welcome 
to  their  tenement. 

Finding  the  post  entire.  Captain  Stevens  determined  to 
keep  possession  of  it.  He  had  not  been  there  many  days 
when  he  was  attacked  by  a  very  large  party  of  French  and 
Indians,  commanded  by  M.  Debeline.  On  the  7th  of  April, 
1747,  "our  days  being  very  much  disturbed,  gave  us  reason 
to  think  that  the  enemy  were  about,  which  occasioned  us 
not  to  open  the  gate  at  the  usual  time.  But  one  of  our 
men  being  very  desirous  to  know  the  certainty  ventured 
out  privately  to  set  on  the  dogs  about  9  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  and  went  about  twenty  rods  from  the  fort,  firing 
off  his  gun  and  urging  on  the  dogs.  Whereupon  the  enemy, 
being  within  a  few  rods,  immediately  arose  from  behind  a 
log  and  fired;  but,  through  the  goodness  of  God,  the  man 
got  into  the  fort  with  only  a  slight  wound.  The  enemy, 
being  then  discovered,  arose  from  all  their  ambushments 
and  attacked  us  on  all  sides.  The  wind  being  very  high 
and  everything  exceedingly  dry  they  set  fire  to  all  the  old 
fence.  They  also  set  fire  to  a  log  house  about  forty  rods 
distant  from  the  fort,  to  the  windward,  so  that  in  a  few 
minutes  we  were  entirely  surrounded  by  fire,  all  which 
was  performed  with  the  most  hideous  shouting  from  all 
quarters,  which  they  continued  in  the  most  terrible  man- 
ner till  the  next  day  at  10  o'clock  at  night,  without  inter- 
mission, in  which  time  we  had  no  opportunity  either  to  eat 
or  sleep.     But    notwithsuindino:   all   their  shouting  and 


Evangelical  Congregational  Church 
1905 


threatenings  our  men  seemed  to  be  not  in  the  least  daunt- 
ed, but  fought  with  great  resohition,  which  undoubtedly 
gave  the  enemy  reason  to  think  we  had  determined  to 
stand  it  out  to  the  last  degree,  and,  although  they  had  pro- 
vided themselves  with  a  sort  of  fortification,  which  they 
had  determined  to  push  before  them,  and  so  bring  fuel  to 
the  side  of  the  fort  in  order  to  burn  it  down ;  yet,  instead 
of  performing  what  they  threatened,  and  seemed  to  be 
immediately  going  to  undertake,  they  called  to  us  and  de- 
sired a  cessation  of  arms  until  sunrise  the  next  morning, 
which  was  granted;  at  which  time  they  said  they  would 
come  to  a  parley.  Accordingly  the  French  General, 
Debeline,  came  with  about  50  or  60  of  his  men  with  a  flag 
of  truce,  and  stuck  it  down  within  about  20  rods  of  the 
fort,  in  plain  sight  of  the  same,  and  said  if  we  would  send 
three  mon  to  him  he  would  send  as  many  to  us,  to  which 
Vv^e  complied.  The  General  sent  a  French  lieutenant,  with 
a  French  soldier,  and  made  the  following  proposal,  viz.: 
If  we  would  immediately  resign  the  fort  we  should  have 
our  lives,  and  have  liberty  to  put  on  all  the  clothes  we  had 
and  also  take  a  sufficient  quantity  of  provisions  to  carry  us 
to  Montreal,  and  bind  up  our  provisions  and  blankets,  lay 
down  our  arms  and  march  out  of  the  fort;  and  that  we 
should  be  assured  of  using  our  clothes  and  provisions  for 
our  own  comfort.  Upon  our  men's  returning  he  desired 
that  the  captain  would  meet  him  half  way  and  give  an  an- 
swer to  the  above  proposal.  He  did  not  wait  to  have  me 
give  him  an  answer,  but  went  on  in  the  following  manner, 
viz. :  That  what  he  had  promised  he  was  ready  to  per- 
form, but  upon  our  refusal  he  would  immediately  set  the 
fort  on  fire,  or  run  over  the  top;  for  he  had  700  men  with 
him;  and  if  we  made  any  further  resistance  and  should 
happen  to  kill  one  Indian,  we  might  all  expect  to  be  put  to 
the  sword.  The  fort,  said  he,  I  have  resolved  to  have  or 
die.  Now  do  what  you  please,  for  I  am  as  easy  to  have 
you  fight  as  to  give  it  up.  I  told  the  General  that  in  case 
of  extremity  his  proposal  would  do;  but  inasmuch  as  I  was 


sent  here  to  defend  this  fort  it  would  not  be  consistent 
with  my  orders  to  give  it  up,  unless  I  was  better  satisfied 
that  he  was  able  to  perform  what  he  threatened.  I  fur- 
ther told  him  that  it  was  but  poor  encouragement  to  resign 
into  the  hands  of  an  enemy  if,  upon  one  of  their  number 
being  killed,  they  would  put  all  to  the  sword,  when  it  was 
very  probable  that  we  had  killed  some  of  them  already. 
Well,  said  he,  go  into  the  fort  and  see  whether  your  men 
dare  fight  any  more  and  give  me  an  answer  quickly,  for 
my  men  want  to  be  fighting.  Whereupon  I  went  into  the 
fort  and  called  the  men  together  and  inform.ed  them  what 
the  General  said,  and  then  put  it  to  vote  v/hether  they 
would  fight  or  resign,  and  they  voted  to  a  man  to  stand  it 
out,  and  also  declared  that  they  would  fight  as  long  as  they 
had  life  rather  than  go  v/ith  them.  Upon  this  I  returned 
the  answer  that  we  determined  to  fight  it  out,  upon  vv'hich 
they  gave  a  shout  and  so  continued  firing  and  shouting  till 
day  light  next  morning,  it  being  now  about  noon;  but  they 
never  had  the  courage  to  bring  their  fortification  nor  run 
over  the  fort;  but  in  lieu  thereof  they  spent  the  night  in 
shooting  their  fiery  arrows,  which  were  easily  put  out. 
The  next  morning  at  day  light  they  called  to  us  and  said 
'Good  morning'  and  desired  a  cessation  of  arms  for  two 
hours,  at  which  time  they  said  they  would  come  to  a  par- 
ley and  perhaps  make  peace  with  you,  and  their  desire  was 
granted;  and  they  accordingly  came  with  a  flag  of  truce, 
as  before;  but  the  proposal,  which  they  were  now  about  to 
make,  was  so  far  different  from  the  former  that  the  Gen- 
eral did  not  care  to  make  it  himself,  but  sent  two  Indians, 
who  came  within  about  eight  rods  of  the  fort  and  stuck 
down  their  flag  and  desired  that  I  would  send  out  two  men 
to  them,  which  I  accordingly  did.  Upon  the  men's  coming 
to  them  they  made  the  following  proposals:  That  in  case 
we  would  sell  them  provisions  they  would  engage  to  go 
and  leave  us  and  not  fight  any  more;  and  then  desired  the 
men  to  go  into  the  fort  and  desire  the  captain  to  send  an 
answer.     Wliereupon   I  sent  out  the  following  answer, 


o 

M 
O 


viz. :  As  to  selling  them  provision  for  money,  it  was  con- 
trary to  the  law  of  the  nation,  but  if  they  would  send  in  a 
prisoner  for  every  five  bushels  of  corn  I  would  supply 
them;  and  upon  the  Indians  returning  the  answer  to  the 
General  four  or  five  guns  were  immediately  fired  against 
the  fort  and  then  they  withdrew,  as  we  supposed,  for  we 
heard  no  more  of  them,  it  being  now  the  10th  of  April,  2 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  In  all  this  time  we  had  scarcely 
opportunity  to  eat  or  sleep.  The  cessation  of  arms  gave 
us  no  great  matter  of  rest,  for  we  supposed  they  did  it  to 
get  an  advantage  against  us.  I  believe  men  were  never 
known  to  hold  out  with  better  resolution,  for  they  did  not 
seem  to  desire  to  sit  or  lie  still  one  minute;  for  those  who 
were  not  employed  in  firing  at  the  enemy  were  employed 
in  digging  trenches  under  the  bottom  of  the  fort.  We  dug 
no  less  than  eleven  of  them  so  deep  that  a  man  could  go 
and  stand  upright  in  the  outside  and  not  endanger  him- 
self; so  that  when  these  trenches  were  finished  we  could 
wet  all  the  outside  of  the  fort,  which  we  did,  and  kept  it 
wet  all  night.  We  drew  some  hundreds  of  barrels  of  water, 
and  to  undergo  all  this  hard  service  there  were  but  30  men, 
and  though  there  were  some  thousands  of  guns  shot  at  us 
we  had  but  two  men  slightly  wounded,  John  Brown  and 
Joseph  Ely." 

An  express  was  immediately  despatched  to  Boston  and 
the  intelligence  was  there  received  with  great  joy.  Com. 
Sir  Charles  Knov/les  was  so  highly  pleased  with  the  con- 
duct of  Captain  Stevens  that  he  presented  him  with  a  val- 
uable and  elegant  sword,  as  a  reward  for  his  bravery. 
From  this  circumstance  the  town,  when  incorporated,  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Charlestown. 

On  the  24th  of  August,  1747,  as  twelve  men  were  pass- 
ing down  the  river  on  their  return  from  the  fort  to  Massa- 
chusetts, they  were  surprised  and  attacked  by  the  Indians, 
and  Nathan  Gould  and  Tliomas  Goodall  were  killed  and 
scalped.  Oliver  Avery  was  wounded  and  John  Henderson 
taken.     The  residue  escaped. 


On  the  15th  of  March,  1748,  while  about  eight  men  were 
a  few  rods  from  the  fort,  they  were  attacked  by  about 
twenty  Indians,  who  endeavored  to  cut  off  their  retreat  to 
the  fort.  A  skirmish  ensued,  in  which  Charles  Stevens 
was  killed,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Androus  or  Anderson, 
wounded  and  Eleazar  Priest  taken  captive. 

"In  the  month  of  May  a  scout  of  eighteen  men  under 
Capt.  Eleazar  Melvin,  marched  from  Charlestown  to  re- 
connoitre the  woods  toward  Lake  Champlain,  and  arriving 
opposite  to  Crown  Point  they  discovered  and  fired  upon 
two  canoes  of  Indians.  This  drew  out  a  party  from  the 
fort,  who  endeavored  to  intercept  the  scout  on  its  return 
to  Connecticut  river,  and  by  a  rapid  march  the  enemy 
gained  the  front,  and  Melvin  soon  crossed  their  trail,  and 
concluding  that  they  would  take  a  route  toward  Charles- 
town,  he  resolved  to  strike  the  Connecticut  at  Fort  Dum- 
mer  and  thereby  avoid  the  enemy.  On  reaching  West 
river  he  halted  on  the  25th  and  very  imprudently  permit- 
ted his  men  to  divert  themselves  in  shooting  salmon,  then 
passing  up  the  shoals  of  the  river.  The  enemy,  unknown 
to  Melvin,  were  then  in  close  pursuit  on  his  trail,  and, 
hearing  the  report  of  the  gims,  pressed  on  to  the  spot  and 
gave  the  incautious  scout  a  sudden  fire,  which  threw  it 
into  confusion  and  scattered  the  men  in  various  directions. 
A  small  party,  however,  rallying,  returned  and  engaged 
the  enemy,  but  v/ere  soon  overpowered  and  compelled  to 
retreat.  Melvin,  with  eleven,  reached  the  fort,  having 
lost  the  residue,  all  valuable  men." 

In  May,  1749,  intelligence  was  received  of  the  cessation 
of  hostilities  between  Great  Britain  and  France.  But  the 
end  of  incursions  by  the  enemy  was  not  yet,  for  in  the  fol- 
lowing June,  after  the  evacuation  of  the  fort  by  the  prin- 
cipal part  of  the  troops,  Obadiah  Sartwell  was  killed,  while 
ploughing  among  his  corn,  and  the  rider,  Enos  Stevens, 
son  of  the  defender  of  the  fort,  was  captured  and  carried 
to  Canada,  but  he  was  soon  released  and  returned.  These 
were  the  last  depredations  on  the  frontiers  during  the 


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Cape  Breton  war,  and  a  final  treaty  of  peace  with  the  In- 
dians was  concluded  on  the  following  September. 

Relieved  in  a  measure  from  their  fears  of  savage  inva- 
sion the  inhabitants,  for  a  season,  went  forth  to  their 
labors  with  more  encouraging  prospects.  Although  their 
knowledge  of  the  character  of  their  former  enemies  did 
not  permit  them  to  consider  the  period  completed,  when 
they  might  safely  beat  their  swords  into  plough  shares  and 
their  spears  into  pruning  hooks,  yet  were  their  hopes  daily 
increasing  that  tomorrow  would  be  as  this  day,  except 
more  abundant  in  its  tokens  of  peace  and  prosperity. 
While  the  continuation  of  peace  was  apparently  abating 
the  resentment  of  the  Indians,  it  proportionally  relaxed  the 
vigilance  of  the  men's  suspicions  and  enabled  them  to 
engage  with  increasing  fearlessness  in  the  duties  of  their 
vocation.  After  the  autumn  of  1752  the  inhabitants  of 
No.  4  made  less  use  of  the  fort  and  ventured  more  boldly 
into  their  fields.  All  indications  of  hostility  at  length  dis- 
appeared. The  Indians  seemed  disposed  to  trafRck,  the 
people  were  quiet  from  fear  of  evil,  the  wilderness  and 
solitary  places  began  to  be  glad  and  the  desert  to  blossom. 
But  soon  were  these  appearances  exchanged  for  melan- 
choly presages  of  a  repetition  of  the  horrors  of  Indian  hos- 
tilities. The  commencement  of  the  year  1754  exhibited 
indications  of  a  renewal  of  war  between  England  and 
France,  and  as  the  line  between  Canada  and  the  English 
colonies  was  a  subject  of  contention,  it  may  be  easily  sup- 
posed that  the  frontiers  would  be  exposed  to  peculiar  dan- 
ger. "No  sooner  had  the  alarm  of  hostilities,  which  com- 
menced between  the  English  and  French  in  the  western 
part  of  Virginia,  spread  through  the  continent  than  the 
Indians  renewed  their  attacks  on  the  frontiers  of  New 
Hampshire."  August  29,  1754,  the  house  of  Mr.  James 
Johnson  was  visited  in  the  evening  by  a  party  of  neigh- 
bors, who  passed  the  time  with  melons  and  the  then  usual 
accompaniments  till  about  midnight.  The  family  then 
"retired  with  feelings  well  tuned  for  sleep,"  from  which 


they  were  awaked  between  daybreak  and  sunrise  by  a  Mr. 
Laboree,  who  came  for  the  purpose  of  working  for  Mr. 
Johnson.  When  Mr.  Johnson  opened  the  door  the  house 
was  immediately  filled  by  a  crowd  of  Indians,  who  cap- 
tured the  whole  household,  consisting  of  Mr.  Johnson  and 
wife,  Sylvanus,  Susan  and  Polly  Johnson,  their  children, 
Miriam  Willard,  sister  to  Mrs.  Johnson,  and  Peter  Laboree 
and  Ebenezer  Farnsworth.  A  Mr.  Osmer,  who  lodged  in 
the  chamber,  escaped  detection  by  concealing  himself  be- 
hind a  box.  The  next  day  after  this  capture  Mrs.  John- 
son was  delivered  of  a  daughter,  which,  from  the  circum- 
stances of  its  birth,  was  named  Captive.  The  Indians 
tarried  one  day  for  the  accommodation  of  Mrs.  Johnson 
and  on  the  next  resumed  their  march,  carrying  her  awhile 
on  a  litter  made  for  the  purpose,  and  afterward  placing 
her  on  horseback.  Instead  of  meeting  the  fate,  which  she 
apprehended  from  her  inability  to  march  with  convenient 
speed,  Mrs.  Johnson  was  treated  with  unexpected  human- 
ity and  great  care  was  shewn  in  protecting  and  nursing 
her  infant.  Scoggin,  the  horse,  was  killed  during  their 
march  to  supply  the  want  of  provisions.  Soon  after  their 
arrival  at  Montreal  a  parole  of  two  months  was  granted  to 
Mr.  Johnson,  that  he  might  return  and  obtain  the  means 
of  redemption.  By  applying  to  the  Assembly  of  New 
Hampshire  he  obtained,  after  some  time,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  sterling.  But  the  season  was  so  far 

advanced  and  the  winter  so  severe  that  he  did  not  reach 
Canada  till  spring.  He  was  then  accused  of  breaking  his 
parole,  a  great  part  of  his  money  was  taken  from  him  by 
violence,  he  was  shut  up  with  his  family  in  prison,  where 
they  took  the  small-pox.  After  eighteen  months  Mrs. 
Johnson,  her  sister  and  two  of  her  daughters  were  sent  in 
a  cartel  ship  to  England,  and  thence  they  returned  to  Bos- 
ton. Mr.  Johnson  was  detained  in  prison  three  years  and 
then,  with  his  son,  returned  and  met  his  wife  in  Boston, 
where  he  had  the  singular  ill  fortune  to  be  suspected  of 
designs,  unfriendly  to  his  country,  and  was  again  impris- 


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oned,  but  no  evidence  appearing  against  him  he  was  liber- 
ated. His  eldest  daughter  was  retained  in  a  nunnery  at 
Canada.  Previously  to  the  liberation  of  Mr.  Johnson's 
family  Mr.  Laboree  made  his  escape  from  Montreal,  and, 
after  a  long  and  tedious  journey,  during  three  days  of 
which  he  travelled  through  a  swamp  to  avoid  discovery  by 
the  enemy,  arrived  at  New  York  nearly  at  the  same  time 
with  the  others.    Mr.  Farnsworth  returned  before. 

The  age  of  Sylvanus  Johnson,  at  the  time  of  his  capture, 
was  six  years.  During  his  absence  he  had  entirely  for- 
gotten the  English  language,  but  became  perfect  in  the 
Indian.  He  had  learned  a  little  of  the  French  language, 
having  resided  with  the  French  about  one  year.  He  lived 
with  the  Indians  three  years  and  his  habits  and  feelings 
were  formed  accordingly.  He  had  accompanied  them  in 
their  hunting  excursions  and  become  accustomed  to  their 
hardships.  So  strongly  were  the  habits  of  his  Indian  mas- 
ters fixed  upon  his  youth  that  seventy-four  years,  passed 
in  the  peaceful  occupation  of  husbandry,  were  not  suffi- 
cient to  eradicate  them.  He  retained  to  the  hour  of  his 
death  many,  if  not  most  of  the  feelings  and  customs  in- 
grafted on  his  mind  by  his  long  residence  with  the  aborig- 
ines. He  has  often  expressed  his  regret  at  having  been 
ransomed,  and  has  always  maintained  that  the  Indians 
v/ere  a  far  more  moral  race  than  the  whites.  He  died  at 
Walpole  in  1832,  at  the  age  of  84  years,  leaving  the  repu- 
tation of  an  honest  and  upright  man. 

On  the  21st  of  September,  1754,  the  commissioners  of 
Indian  affairs  at  Albany  were  informed  by  Charles  Cook, 
of  French  and  Indian  extraction,  that,  on  his  way  from 
Cahgnawaga  thither,  he  had  met  a  party  of  twenty-one 
Indians,  who  had  been  fighting  at  Charlestown,  alluding 
doubtless,  to  the  capture  of  Johnson's  family.  He  said  he 
asked  them  why  they  had  been  fighting, since  it  was  peace? 
They  answered,  that  was  nothing;  for  the  English  at  the 
fort  No.  4  had  some  time  past  poisoned  two  Indians;  when 
at  the  same  time  they  were  sitting  and  discoursing  together 


and  seemed  to  be  good  friends  by  giving  them  a  dram  at 
night,  and  in  the  morning  they  were  both  dead.  Also, 
that  the  English,  some  time  after,  killed  three  Indians 
below  Charlestown;  and  because  the  people  of  New  Eng- 
land killed  these  five,  they  had  taken  five  in  their  room, 
and  that  they  were  now  paid. 

On  the  8th  of  September,  1755,  the  inhabitants  repre- 
sented to  the  government  of  Massachusetts  their  distresses, 
occasioned  by  their  Indian  enemies  in  killing  their  cattle, 
compelling  them  to  neglect  their  fields  for  the  defence  of 
their  persons,  and  thus  inducing  the  danger  of  a  loss  of 
their  crops.  The  petition  for  assistance  was  signed  by 
Micah  Fuller,  Thomas  Adams,  Simon  Sartwell,  Moses 
Wheeler,  Daniel  Sartv/ell,  James  Whiting,  John  Hastings, 
Jr.,  John  Spafford,  John  Hastings,  Seth  Putnam,  Moses 
Willard,  Isaac  Parker,  David  Farnsworth  and  Ebenezer 
Putnam. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  1756,  while  Lieut.  Moses  Willard 
was  endeavoring  to  extinguish  the  fire,  which  had  been 
kindled  in  his  fence,  he  was  attacked  by  the  Indians  and 
killed  behind  the  barn  of  the  late  Capt.  John  Willard,  and 
near  the  academy.  At  the  same  time  his  son  Moses  was 
wounded  in  the  hip  by  a  spear,  which  is  said  to  have  re- 
mained in  the  wound  till  after  his  retreat  into  the  fort.  It 
is  further  said  that  a  Mr.  Preserved  Clap  carried  the  same 
spear  into  the  revolutionary  war.  Mr.  Willard  died  Aug. 
17,  1832,  aged  84  years. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1757  a  regiment,  under  Lieut. 
Col.  Goffe,  was  ordered  by  Gen.  Webb  to  repair  to  No.  4, 
but  previously  to  their  arrival  the  place  v/as  visited  by  a 
party  of  French  and  Indians,  in  number  about  70.  About 
a  mile  from  the  village,  and  near  Spafford's  mills,  where 
Mr-  Hall's  now  stand,  they  captured,  on  the  20th  of  April, 
Deacon  Thomas  Adams,  while  on  his  way  to  the  opposite 
hill  for  the  purpose  of  making  sugar.  They  tied  him  to  a 
tree,  and  on  their  way  to  the  village  took  Mr.  David 
Farnsworth.    They  burned  the  mills,  being  a  saw  and  a 


grist  mill,  and  captured  Sampson  Colefax,  the  miller. 
They  then  went  to  Claremont,  as  far  as  Sugar  river,  and 
there  took  Thomas  Robbins  and  Asa  Spafford,  while  on  a 
hunting  excursion,  both  belonging  to  Charlestown.  They 
then  returned  to  Charlestown  and  fired  upon  15  or  20  men 
behind  Capt.  Willard's  barn.  Farnsworth  found  means  to 
effect  his  escape  from  Canada  and  returned  home.  The 
others  were  exchanged  on  the  November  following  their 
capture  and  on  their  return  toward  home,  by  way  of  Great 
Britain,  all  died  of  the  small-pox  at  Quebec. 

In  August,  1758,  a  party  of  Indians  appeared  at  Charles- 
town, killed  Asahel  Stebbins,  made  prisoner  of  his  wife 
and  Isaac  Parker  and  killed  many  cattle  feeding  in  the 
adjacent  woods.  Mention  is  somewhere  made  of  the  cap- 
ture of  a  Mrs.  Robbins  and  David  Hill  at  the  same  period. 

The  last  captives  made  by  the  Indians  at  Charlestown 
were  Mr.  Joseph  Willard,  his  wife  and  five  children.  They 
were  taken  on  the  7th  of  June,  1760,  in  the  lower  meadow, 
about  two  miles  from  the  village.  On  their  way  to  Canada 
the  infant  was  lost  in  a  manner  known  to  the  Indians  only 
and  another  of  the  children  died  at  Crown  Point,  while  the 
family  were  on  their  return  to  Charlestown. 

It  is  the  testimony  of  Mrs.  Johnson,  yea,  the  universal 
testimony  of  the  captives,  that  no  instances  occurred  of 
v/anton  cruelty  by  the  Indians,  but  that  on  the  contrary, 
they  manifested  a  disposition  to  alleviate  their  sufferings. 
When  feeble  they  assisted  them  in  travelling,  and  in  cases 
of  distress  from  want  of  provisions  they  shared  with  them 
an  equal  proportion. 

We  here  leave  the  political  history  of  the  place  for  trans- 
actions more  particularly  local.  At  a  great  and  General 
Court,  held  in  Boston,  the  24th  day  of  November,  1736, 
Thomas  Wells,  Esq.,  of  Deerfield,  was  empowered  to  as- 
semble the  Grantees  of  No.  4,  to  choose  a  moderator,  a 
proprietor's  clerk  and  a  committee  to  allot  and  divide  their 
lands. 

The  township  was  granted  to  sixty  proprietors  on  condi- 


tion  that  each  should  build  a  dwelling  house,  of  at  least 
eighteen  feet  square,  and  seven  feet  between  joints,  on 
their  respective  house  lots,  and  fence  in  and  break  up,  or 
clear  and  stock  with  grass  five  acres  of  land  within  three 
years  next  after  their  admittance,  and  cause  their  respec- 
tive lots  to  be  inhabited;  and  that  the  grantees  do,  within 
the  space  of  three  years  after  their  admittance,  build  and 
finish  a  convenient  meeting  house  for  the  public  worship 
of  God  and  settle  a  learned  and  orthodox  minister. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  on  the  fifth  day 
of  April,  1737,  when  a  committee  was  appointed  to  lay  out 
63  lots,  sixty  for  the  proprietors,  two  for  the  ministry,  one 
of  which  was  to  be  for  the  first  settled  minister,  and  one 
for  schools. 

The  first  corn  mill  and  saw  mill,  erected  at  No.  4,  were 
completed  in  August,  1744;  and  their  completion,  as  it  is 
said,  was  then  deemed  an  event  of  suflficient  novelty  and 
importance  to  be  celebrated  by  music  and  dancing. 

In  1751,  ninety  pounds,  old  tenor,  was  voted  at  a  town 
meeting  for  the  encouragement  of  a  blacksmith  to  settle 
in  No.  4. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  1753,  the  proprietors  obtained  a  char- 
ter from  Benning  Wentworth,  Governor  of  the  province  of 
New  Hampshire,  granting  them  a  tract  of  land  containing 
six  square  miles,  with  all  the  privileges  and  appurtenances, 
upon  condition  "that  every  grantee,  his  heirs  and  assigns, 
shall  plant  and  cultivate  five  acres  of  land  within  the  term 
of  five  years  for  ever}'^  fifty  acres  of  land  contained  in  his, 
or  their  share,  and  continue  to  improve  and  settle  the  same 
by  additional  cultivation,  on  penalty  of  the  forfeiture  of 
his  grant  or  share  in  said  township,  and  its  reverting  to 
his  Majesty,  his  heirs  and  successors,  to  be  by  him  or  them 
regranted  to  such  of  his  Majesty's  subjects  as  shall  effect- 
ually settle  and  cultivate  the  same."  A  resei'vation  here 
follows  of  all  white,  and  other  pine  trees,  fit  for  masting 
the  Royal  navy,  v/ith  the  requisition  from  every  proprietor 
of  an  annual  rent  of  one  ear  of  Indian  corn  during  the  ten 


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succeeding  years,  and  afterward  one  shilling  proclamation 
money,  for  every  hundred  acres. 

The  first  meeting  for  the  choice  of  town  officers  and  for 
the  transaction  of  other  business  was  holden  on  the  second 
Tuesday  in  August,  1753.  The  time  was  appointed  by  the 
government,  who  appointed  also  Phinehas  Stevens,  Esq. , 
as  moderator.  The  first  town  clerk  was  John  Hastings, 
and  the  first  selectmen  were  Phinehas  Stevens,  John 
Hastings  and  John  Spafford.  In  the  warrant  calling  the 
meeting  is  the  article,  "to  see  whether  the  town  will 
adopt  measures  to  provide  some  convenient  place  for  pub- 
lic worship  for  the  ensuing  winter. ' '  At  the  meeting  no 
attention  appears  to  have  been  paid  to  this  article,  but  at 
a  town  meeting  in  April,  1754,  the  inhabitants  voted  to 
repair  the  great  chamber  for  a  place  of  worship  and  £2 
13s.  4d.  were  voted  for  the  repairs. 

On  the  13th  of  May,  1754,  a  vote  was  obtained  for  the 
settlement  of  Mr.  John  Dennis,  in  the  work  of  the  minis- 
try, and  for  his  encouragement  to  settle  the  town  voted  to 
pay  him  annually  fifty  pounds  lawful  money,  to  be  equal 
to  silver  at  six  shillings  and  eight  pence  per  ounce;  and 
also  to  provide  for  him  a  sufficiency  of  fire  wood,  brought 
to  his  house,  and  cut  cord  wood  length.  At  the  request  of 
Mr.  Dennis  they  afterward,  previously  to  his  ordination, 
made  an  addition  of  three  pounds,  six  shillings  and  eight 
pence.  On  the  4th  of  December  a  small  church  was 
formed,  and  on  the  same  day  Mr.  Dennis  was  ordained. 
So  great  were  the  apprehensions  of  the  people  of  hostile 
invasion  by  the  Indians  that  the  ordination  was  at  North- 
field,  at  the  distance  of  forty  miles.  In  about  six  months 
difficulties  arose  in  consequence  of  the  imprudent,  if  no 
v/orse,  conduct  of  Mr.  Dennis;  but  the  people,  under  the 
influence  of  that  charity,  which  is  ready  to  provide  a  suita- 
ble covering  for  faults,  "consented  to  a  reconciliation  and 
agreed  to  estabiisli  the  Rev.  John  Dennis  in  the  ministry, 
and  to  fulfil  their  contract,  provided  he  does  agreeably  to 
v^hat  he  has  professed  and  declared  in  writing  to  the  com- 


munity;  that  he  has  entirely  dropped,  and  will  drop,  his 
addresses  and  suit  to  Eunice  Farnsworth;  and  shall  not 
for  the  future  give  the  town  occasion  to  fault  him  for  fal- 
lacy and  prevarication."  But  it  is  the  misfortune  of  most 
disorders  of  his  character  to  gather  strength  from  the 
means  adopted  for  their  remedy.  In  the  present  instance 
the  difficulties  were  healed  so  slightly  that  they  soon  made 
their  appearance  in  an  aggravated  form.  On  the  31st  of 
March,  1758,  a  council  was  convened  at  Deerfield,  when 
the  pastoral  connexion  between  Mr.  Dennis  and  his  flock 
was  dissolved.  The  pastors  convened  for  this  pur}:)Ose 
were  those  of  Keene  and  Swanzey,  Sunderland,  Hatfield, 
Deerfield  and  Northfleld.  Mr.  Dennis  had  previously  to 
his  settlement  at  Charlestown  served  as  chaplain  to  several 
garrisons  at  the  eastward-  He  was  thus  occupied  ten  or 
eleven  years.  He  was  a  native  of  Ipswich,  Massachusetts, 
and  died  2  September,  1773,  having  nearly  completed  his 
G5th  year. 

The  vote  for  building  the  first  meeting  house  in  Charles- 
town  was  passed  August  11th,  1780.  The  town  then  voted 
to  build  a  log  house  for  public  worship,  of  the  following 
dimensions,  viz:  34  feet  long,  twenty  wide  and  eight  be- 
tween joints;  and  to  place  it  on  meeting  house  hill.  They 
voted  also  twenty  pounds  lawful  money  to  be  levied  on  tlie 
inhabitants  for  building  the  house,  provided  so  much 
should  be  needed.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  see  to 
and  forv/ard  the  building,  with  directions  that  it  shoLdd  be 
completed  by  the  last  day  of  the  next  September.  On  the 
17th  of  the  following  October  the  town  voted  to  raise  the 
farther  sum  of  ten  pounds  lawful  money,  for  th3  purpose 
of  ''finishing  the  house  so  far,  as  to  build  seats,  glaze  the 
house,  finish  the  pulpit  so  far  ai  needful,  make  windov/ 
shutters  and  calk  the  said  house." 

On  the  14th  of  the  following  November  the  town  vote  I 
to  invite  Mr.  Bulkley  Olcoti  to  settle  with  them  a:^  their 
mini.iter;  to  give  him  the  whole  of  tlie  right  of  land,  com- 
monly called  the  minister's  riglit,  and  to  give  him  also  the 


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sum  of  one  hundred  pounds,  lawful  money,  of  the  province 
of  Massachusetts  Bay.  In  February,  1761,  they  voted  to 
give  Mr.  Olcott  forty-five  pounds  sterling,  or  silver,  or  gold 
equivalent  thereto,  the  first  year;  and  to  make  an  annual 
addition  of  thirty  shillings,  till  his  salary  should  amount  to 
60  pounds  sterling,  or  silver  or  gold  equivalent,  to  pay  half 
the  salary  at  the  end  of  six  months  after  his  ordination 
and  the  other  half  at  the  close  of  the  year,  to  proceed  in 
this  way  during  his  ministry  among  them. 

To  these  last  mentioned  proposals  Mr.  Olcott  acceded 
and  was  ordained  May  28,  1761.  He  is  represented  as 
respectable  in  talents,  acceptable  as  a  preacher  and  pecu- 
liarly affable  and  useful  in  his  visits  from  house  to  house. 
"During  the  whole  of  his  ministry  his  solicitude  for  the 
happiness  of  his  parishioners  was  conspicuous  in  the  bene- 
fits which  he  conferred,  and  in  the  attachment  with  which 
they  were  requited.  As  a  divine,  he  was  pathetic,  devout 
and  instructive,  and  may  with  propriety  be  said  to  have 

'Allur'd  to  brighter  worlds,  and  lead  the  way.'  " 

He  continued  in  the  ministry  at  Charlestown  till  June 
26th,  1793,  when  he  was  removed  by  death. 

It  appears  that  another  church  was  organized  under  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Olcott,  consisting  of  the  pastor,  Isaac 
Parker,  Seth  Walker,  Seth  Putnam,  Stephen  Farnsworth, 
EbenGzer  Putnam,  Thomas  Putnam,  Joel  Matthews,  Wil- 
liam Heywood  and  John  Spafford. 

On  the  29th  of  May,  1796,  the  church  met  for  the  first 
time  after  the  death  of  their  pastor,  and  chose  Deacon 
Thomas  Putnam  as  the  standing  moderator  of  the  church, 
and  Dr.  Samuel  Crosby  as  clerk. 

Daring  the  period  of  17  years  after  the  death  of  Mr. 
Olcott  the  parish  was  destitute  of  regular  ministrations. 
For  a  considerable  portion  of  that  period  they  were  vari- 
ously supplied,  but  principally  by  the  Rev.  Dan  Foster, 
v/ho,  after  a  temporary  settlement  in  Connecticut,  and 
afterward  in  Vermont,  fixed  his  residence  in  Cliarle^town, 


where  he  died  in  March,  1809. 

The  present  incumbent  was  ordained  on  the  17th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1810.  In  the  north  parish  no  minister  has  ever  been 
settled,  nor  a  church  organized. 

When  the  restoration  of  peace  had  quieted  the  fears  of 
the  people  they  began  their  preparations,  in  1763,  for  the 
erection  of  a  building  fifty-two  feet  long,  forty-tv/o  wide, 
and  twenty-five  between  posts.  For  this  purpose  they 
raised  the  sum  of  sixty  pounds.  Of  the  progress  of  the 
Vv'ork  for  more  than  two  years  and  an  half  from  its  com- 
mencement, we  have  merely  the  information,  that  a  prep- 
aration of  materials,  and  the  selection  of  a  site  for  the 
building,  were  the  only  results  of  their  exertions.  In 
August,  1765,  some  unexpected  occurrences— probably  de- 
ficiences  in  means— so  weakened  the  hands  of  the  builders 
that  the  work  ceased  till  October,  1767.  At  this  period 
they  resumed  the  work  and  again  obtained  a  vote  to  raise 
the  sum  of  sixty  pounds.  In  December  of  the  same  year 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  erection  and 
covering  of  the  frame.  By  gradual  progression  it  became 
a  place  of  worship  in  1768.  Thirty  and  five  years  was  this 
temple  in  building;  for  accessions  and  renovations  con- 
tinued till  1793,  v/hen  it  received  its  last  repairs  and  last 
additions. 

The  first  vote  found  in  the  town  records,  respecting 
schools,  was  passed  in  August,  1763,  when  it  was  voted 
that  there  shall  be  a  school  kept  in  tovv'n  for  the  future, 
and  that  it  shall  be  kept  in  different  parts  of  the  town  in 
proportion  to  what  each  part  shall  pay  toward  said  school. 

In  1763  the  small-pox  made  its  appearance  in  the  main 
fort,  of  which  six  or  soven  died;  brought  in  by  some  of 
the  British  soldiers. 

In  May,  1768,  Capt.  Simon  [?]  Stevens  was  chosen  a 
representative  to  represent  the  town  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly, at  Portsmouth;  the  fi.rst  representative  of  Charles- 
town. 

In  May,  1770.  a  vote  was  passed  by  tiie  town  that  the 


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burying  yard  should  be  cleared,  and  fenced  with  a  good 
and  sufficient  board  fence,  and  that  a  burying  cloth  should 
be  purchased  for  the  use  of  the  town. 

In  March,  1770,  the  town  voted  to  raise,  and  assess  on 
the  inhabitants,  twenty-seven  pounds  for  the  benefit  of 
schools.  At  the  same  time  it  was  voted  that  the  town 
should  be  divided  into  three  districts,  and  that  each  dis- 
trict should  draw  out  an  equal  proportion,  according  to 
their  other  assessment,  to  be  converted  to  the  use  afore- 
said; that  they  should  otherwise  forfeit  their  proportion, 
or  such  part  thereof,  as  shall  not  be  appropriated  to  the 
use  aforesaid,  to  the  use  of  such  district,  as  shall  convert 
the  same  to  the  use  aforesaid. 

On  the  19th  of  March,  1771,  the  province  of  New  Hamp- 
shire was  divided  into  five  counties,  when  Charlestown 
became  a  half  shire.  The  Superior  Court,  however,  did 
not  hold  their  sessions  here  till  a  considerable  time  after. 

In  August,  1771,  John  Hastings,  Jr.,  was  chosen  grand 
juror,  to  serve  at  his  Majesty's  Superior  Court,  to  be  hold- 
en  at  Keene  on  the  third  Tuesday  of  the  following  Septem- 
ber; and  at  an  adjourned  meeting  a  few  days  after,  "a 
box  being  prepared  according  to  law,"  Lieut.  Samuel 
Hunt  was  drawn  to  serve  as  petit  juror  at  the  same  court. 
Capt.  Sylvanus  Hastings  was  the  first  grand  juror  for  the 
Court  of  General  Sessions,  and  Seth  Walker,  Jr.,  the  first 
petit  juror. 

On  the  24th  of  October,  1774,  Lieut.  Samuel  Hunt  and 
Elijah  Grout  were  chosen  as  a  committee  to  join  with  oth- 
er committees  from  the  several  towns  in  the  county,  who 
were  to  assemble  at  the  house  of  Capt.  John  Bellows  in 
Walpole.  It  is  recorded  that  the  committee  from  Charles- 
town  were  furnished  with  instructions;  but  of  their  nature 
or  the  object  of  the  meeting  at  Walpole,  no  information  is 
given. 

On  the  19th  of  January,  1775,  Mr.  Elijah  Grout  was 
chosen  to  represent  Charlestown,  at  Exeter,  on  the  25th 
of  the  month,  to  choose  delegates  to  send  to  the  general 


Congress,  to  be  holden  at  Philadelphia  the  next  May. 

In  August,  1775,  Samuel  Hunt,  Wm.  Heywood,  Abel 
Walker,  Samuel  Stevens,  Esq.,  and  Elijah  Grant  were 
appointed  a  committee  of  safety  for  the  town  of  Charles- 
town. 

In  June,  1770,  Samuel  Wetherbe,  Jotham  White  and 
Eb3nezer  Earns  worth  were  appointed  a  committee  for 
preparing  a  place  to  receive  persons  infected  with  the 
small-pox,  or  v/ho  should  accidentally  take  it. 

On  the  6th  of  February,  1778,  it  was  voted  that  the  rep- 
resentative of  this  town  be  instructed  to  assent  to  all  the 
articles  of  confederation,  as  proposed  by  Congress,  except 
the  8th  article,  relative  to  which  he  is  instructed  to  use  his 
endeavor  to  procure  such  alleviation,  as  that  the  charges 
and  expenses  may  be  defrayed  in  the  United  States,  and 
be  proportioned  on  all  estates,  real  or  personal,  as  has  been 
usually  practised  in  this  State;  and  that  this  town  instruct 
their  representative  at  the  next  session  to  use  his  endeavor 
to  appoint  and  call  a  full  and  free  representation  of  all  the 
people  in  this  State,  to  meet  in  Convention  at  such  time 
and  place,  as  they  may  appoint,  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
framing  and  laying  a  permanent  plan,  or  system,  for  the 
future  government  of  this  State. 

In  May,  1778,  Col.  Samuel  Hunt  was  chosen  to  represent 
Charlestown,  at  a  convention  to  be  holden  at  Concord  on 
the  10th  of  the  following  June.  At  the  same  time  it  was 
voted,  that  200  pounds  be  raised  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
those  families,  whose  heads  were  engaged  in  the  conti- 
nental army. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1778,  Capt.  Samuel  Wetherbe 
was  chosen  to  represent  Charlestown  at  a  convention  to  be 
holden  at  Cornish,  on  the  2d  Wednesday  of  the  m.onth. 
The  object  of  this  convention  was  the  adjustment  of  diffi- 
culties, which  had  arisen  between  Vermont  and  the  towns 
admitted  into  their  confederation  on  the  eastern  side  of 
Connecticut  river.  In  Jane,  1778,  sixteen  towns  in  New 
Hampshire,  representing  "that  they  were  not  connected 


with  any  State,  with  respect  to  their  internal  police,"  re- 
quested to  be  received  in  union  with  the  State  of  Vermont. 
After  much  deliberation  and  hesitancy  the  Assembly  of 
Vermont  granted  their  petition;  and  further  resolved,  that 
any  other  towns  on  the  east  side  of  the  Connecticut  river, 
might  be  admitted  into  the  union  by  a  vote  of  a  majority 
of  the  inhabitants,  or  by  sending  a  representative-  In  the 
Assembly  of  Vermont,  convened  at  Windsor,  a  question 
arose,  "whether  the  towns  on  the  east  side  of  Connecticut 
river,  which  had  been  admitted  into  union  with  Vermont, 
should  be  formed  into  a  county  by  themselves;"  and  the 
vote  passed  in  the  negative.  The  members  from  these 
towns  then  withdrew  from  the  Assembly,  and  were  fol- 
lowed by  fifteen  of  the  representatives  from  some  of  the 
towns  in  Vermont,  adjoining  the  river,  with  the  deputy 
governor  and  two  assistants.  The  members,  who  had 
withdrawn  themselves  from  the  Assembly,  formed  into  a 
convention,  and  gave  an  invitation  to  the  towns  on  both 
sides  of  Connecticut  river,  to  unite,  and  to  meet  with  them 
in  convention  at  Cornish,  N.  H. ,  Dec.  9,  1778.  The  people 
on  both  sides  of  Connecticut  river  wished  to  form  a  gov- 
ernment, the  centre  and  seat  of  which  should  be  upon  the 
river. 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1779,  Josiah  Hunt  was  drawn  as 
juryman  to  serve  at  the  Court  to  be  holden  at  Charlestown 
the  next  April.  At  the  same  time,  Capt.  Samuel  Wetherbe 
was  chosen  to  serve  as  grand  juror  at  the  Court  of  General 
Sessions  of  the  peace,  first  to  be  holden  at  Charlestown  on 
the  first  Thursday  following  the  second  Tuesday  in  April 
next.  At  the  same  time,  Messrs.  Elijah  Grout  and  Simeon 
Olcott,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  give  instructions  to 
their  representative  respecting  the  grants  on  the  west  side 
of  Connecticut  river. 

On  the  16th  of  August,  1779,  Elijah  Grant,  Samuel 
V/etherbe,  Peter  Laboree,  Constant  Hart  and  Bradstreet 
Spaiford  were  appointed  a  committee  to  hire  and  pay  five 
men,  called  for  out  of  the  town,  to  enter  the  service,  and 


pay  them  their  respective  bounties. 

Sept.  13,  1779,  Col.  Samuel  Hunt  was  chosen  to  repre- 
sent Charlestown,  agreeably  to  the  request  of  the  select- 
men of  Portsmouth,  at  a  convention  to  be  holden  at  Con- 
cord the  22d  of  the  month. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  1779,  the  town  voted  to  pay 
Constant  Hart  the  sum  of  sixty  pounds  for  going  to  New- 
bury, in  Coos,  to  engage,  and  pay  the  bounties  of  several 
continental  soldiers,  who  enlisted  during  the  war  for  said 
Charlestown;  also,  to  pay  said  Hart  eighteen  pounds  for 
keeping  a  continental  woman,  while  sick,  and  for  trans- 
porting said  woman  to  Walpole. 

On  the  13th  of  November,  1780,  Col.  Samuel  Hunt  and 
Dr.  William  Page  v/ere  chosen  to  join  a  convention  of  com- 
mittees from  the  several  towns  in  this  county,  to  be  holden 
at  Walpole  on  the  15th  of  the  month. 

On  the  8th  of  December,  1780,  Col.  Samuel  Hunt,  Dr. 
William  Page  and  Capt.  Samuel  Wetherbe  were  appointed 
to  represent  Charlestov/n,  in  a  convention  there  to  be 
holden  on  the  third  Tuesday  of  the  next  January. 

The  convention  was  holden  at  Charlestown  on  the  day 
appointed,  and  was  attended  by  delegates  from  43  towns. 
A  majority  voted  in  favor  of  uniting  with  the  State  of 
Vermont. 

On  the  IGth  of  the  follov/ing  April,  the  town  voted, 
"that,  wliereas  this  tov/n  has,  since  the  commencement  of 
the  present  year,  been  at  sundry  times  called  upon  for 
beef,  money,  etc.,  by  the  State  of  New  Hampshire,  they 
v/ill  not  pay  to  the  said  State  any  of  the  articles  above 
mentioned." 

On  the  3d  of  the  following  May,  upwards  of  forty  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Charlestown  took  the  freeman's  oath,  re- 
quired by  the  State  of  Vermont. 

On  the  8th  of  August,  17S2,  the  inhabitants  of  Charles- 
town agreed  to  comply  with  the  demand,  made  by  an  act 
of  the  General  Assembly  for  1781,  and  which,  on  the  IGth 
of  April,  1781,  they  had  peremptorily  refuse;!  to  ansv/er. 


*  'The  continental  Congress  having  proposed  and  recom- 
mended such  an  alteration  in  the  8th  article  of  the  confed- 
eration, as  to  make  the  population  of  the  several  States, 
instead  of  the  value  of  the  granted  land  therein,  the  rule 
for  the  apportionment  of  national  taxes,"  the  town  voted, 
on  the  2d  of  September,  1783,  that  they  would  not  make 
the  proposed  alteration  in  the  8th  article  of  the  confedera- 
tion. On  the  same  day  they  voted,  that  the  Chief  Magis- 
trate of  this  State  have  the  title  of  President. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  1788,  the  town  chose  Benjamin 
West,  Esq. ,  to  represent  Charlestown,  in  a  convention  to 
be  holden  at  Exeter,  on  the  second  Tuesday  of  the  following 
February,  for  the  investigation  of  matters,  relative  to  the 
Federal  Constitution. 

Since  the  above  mentioned  period,  Charlestown  has 
"kept  the  even  tenor  of  its  way, "  and  furnished  no  inci- 
dents worthy  of  particular  mention.  With  respect  to  that 
quiet  and  peaceable  life,  which  passes  without  observation, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  place  have  been  rather  a  peculiar 
people;  an  honorable,  though  unhonored  distinction. 
Charlestown  is  not  distinguished  as  a  place  of  business, 
having  very  few  of  the  privileges,  necessary  to  the  manu- 
facturer; and  is  regarded  as  less  favorable  for  the  acquisi- 
tion of  property,  than  pleasant  for  expending  it.  The 
salubrity  of  the  place  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that 
during  the  twenty-four  last  years,  the  annual  number  of 
deaths  in  the  south  parish,  containing  between  ten  and 
eleven  hundred  inhabitants,  has  been  fourteen  only;  and 
from  the  further  circumstance,  that  an  uncommon  number 
of  the  deceased  arrived  at  a  good  old  ago.  Of  those  who 
died  in  this  period,  the  ages  of  sixty-four,  (the  youngest 
of  them  being  seventy) ,  make  an  average  of  seventy-nine 
years  for  each.  Of  the  sixty-four,  two  died  at  the  age  of 
90  years,  one  93,  and  one  97.  The  oldest  person,  now  liv- 
ing in  Charlestown,  is  a  Mr.  Carpenter,  aged  95.  The 
oldest  native  of  Charlestown,  now  living  in  the  place,  is 
the  widow  of  the  Hon.  John  Hubbard,  and  daugliter  of 


Capt.  Stevens,  the  bravo  defender  of  the  fort.     She  was 
born  in  the  fort  in  1750. 

Of  the  public  characters  furnislied  by  Charlestov/n,  we 
can  make  but  a  cursory  mention.  The  Hon.  John  Hub- 
bard was  many  years  county  treasurer;  was  appointed 
judge  of  probate  for  tlie  county  of  Cheshire,  IG  July,  1789, 
and  continued  in  ofTico  until  the  close  of  1797.  He  died  in 
1806,  at  the  age  of  54  years. 

Hon.  Samuel  Stevens,  son  of  Capt.  Phinehas  Stevens, 
was  often  the  representative  from  Charlestown;  was  six 
years  one  of  the  counsellors  of  the  State,  and  many  years 
register  of  probate,  in  which  office  he  continued  till  his 
death,  at  the  age  of  88  years.  He  died  17  November,  1823. 
"By  the  blessing  of  the  upright  the  city  is  exalted." 

Col.  Samuel  Hunt,  an  active  military  officer  in  the 
French  and  revolutionary  wars,  was  settled  in  Charles- 
town  in  1759,  and  was  appointed  the  first  sheriff  of  the 
county,  under  the  new  constitution,  in  1784,  and  filled  the 
office  till  his  death  in  1799. 

Hon.  Simeon  Olcott,  a  native  of  Bolton,  Connecticut, 
was  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1761;  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  Charlestown;  was  appointed  chief  jus- 
tice of  the  court  of  common  pleas,  in  1784;  associate  jus- 
tice of  the  superior  court  in  1790;  chief  justice  in  1795,  and 
senator  in  Cong^-ess  in  1801.  In  his  intercourse  with 
society  he  was  distinguished  by  that  charity,  which  think- 
eth  no  evil,  and  does  good,  as  it  has  opportunity;  and  in 
the  character  of  judge,  he  manifested  less  regard  for  the 
letter  of  the  lavv'  than  for  the  spirit  of  equity.  He  died  in 
1315,  aged  79. 

Hon.  Benjamin  West,  v/as  graduated  at  Harvard  Col- 
lege in  17G3;  settled  in  Charlestown  in  the  practice  of  law; 
was  a  member  of  the  convention  for  accepting  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States;  was  elected  member  of  con- 
gress, but  declined  the  office;  v/as  an  elector  of  President 
and  Vice  President  of  the  United  States;  and  a  member  of 
the  Hartford  Conventian.     "At  the  b.^.r  he  was  among  the 


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first  of  his  profession.  His  application,  learning  and  integ- 
rity gave  him  great  and  merited  influence."  He  died  in 
1817,  aged  71. 

Among  the  distinguished  features  of  the  village,  are  its 
neatness,  its  long  and  pleasant  street,  shaded  by  a  row  of 
elms  on  one  side  and  a  row  of  maples  on  the  other;  and  its 
regularly  located,  well  proportioned,  though  not  splendid, 
buildings.  But  the  building,  worthy  of  special  observa- 
tion, is  the  church,  erected  in  1820,  at  the  expense  of  seven 
thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars.  Its  materials  are  brick, 
and  its  dimensions,  70  feet  in  length,  60  in  breadth  and  32 
between  joints.  It  contains  an  elegant  and  excellent 
organ,  purchased  in  1829,  at  the  expense  of  about  1200 
dollars.  It  occupies  a  conspicuous  place  precisely  in  the 
centre  of  the  village.  "Of  the  order  of  architecture,  to 
which  it  belongs,  we  cannot  speak  with  any  confidence,  as 
its  founders,  with  a  fearlessness  and  independence,  pecu- 
liar to  New  England,  paid  no  deference  to  the  ideas  of 
elegance,  entertained  either  by  their  contemporaries  or 
predecessors,  but  fashioned  it  according  to  their  own  taste; 
and  satisfied  with  the  result  of  their  labors,  they  did  not 
trouble  themselves  with  the  invention  of  a  name,  justly 
thinking,  that,  to  the  uninitiated,  it  was  a  matter  of  no 
consequence;  and  that  to  all,  acquainted  with  the  myster- 
ies of  architecture,  the  work  would  speak  for  itself." 

A  few  rods  north  of  the  meeting  house,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street,  is  the  bank,  a  neat,  well  proportioned 
building  of  brick,  erected  in  1824.  The  capital  is  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars. 

Opposite  to  the  bank,  on  a  lane,  leading  eastward  from 
the  main  street,  stands  the  deserted  court  house;  deserted, 
it  having  been  considered  expedient,  in  1827,  that  "the 
place  of  judgment"  should  thenceforward  be  at  Newport. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  main  street,  and  not  far  distant 
from  the  court  house,  stands  its  natural  accompaniment, 
the  jnil,  rapidly  hastening  to  dissolution.  It  is  to  receive 
no  repairs,  since  a  receptacle  of  a  similar  character  is 


probably  to  be  erected  in  a  more  suitable  meridian. 

About  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  village,  there  is  in 
erection  across  the  Connecticut,  a  bridge  between  Charles- 
town  and  Springfield,  Vt.,  of  "an  elegant  structure,  sup- 
ported by  two  piers  of  granite,  with  abutments  of  the 
same  material.  The  piers  are  about  forty-two  feet  high, 
the  floor  of  the  bridge  being  about  thirty-two  feet  from 
low  water  mark.  The  piers  are  sixty-two  feet  long  at  the 
bottom,  and  sixteen  wide.  On  the  up-stream  side  of  each 
pier,  and  united  with  it,  is  an  inclined  plane  of  granite, 
and  capped  with  oak  timber,  bolted  to  the  stone  work,  to 
receive  and  break  the  ice,  and  other  obstructions,  which 
may  float  against  them.  The  base  of  the  inclined  plane  is 
about  25  feet.  The  piers  are  secured  by  iron  bolts  and 
bars,  running  from  the  down  corners  angularly  to  the 
centre.  The  superstructure  is  506  feet  long  and  25  wide, 
and  is  built  upon  the  plan  of  Ithiel  Downes'  patent.  It  is 
supported  upon  the  piers  at  distances  of  168  feet  from  the 
centre  of  each  pier.  The  support  of  the  superstructure  is 
by  two  continued  trellises  15  feet  high,  one  on  each  side, 
and  extending  through  the  whole  length  of  the  bridge. 
These  trellises  are  composed  entirely  of  sawed  plank  three 
inches  thick,  and  twelve  inches  wide,  placed  diagonally  in 
the  form  of  lattice  work,  having  two  string  pieces  on  each 
side  at  top  and  bottom,  the  whole  being  secured  together 
at  each  intersection  by  four  two-inch  treenails,  and  with- 
out the  aid  of  iron  work  of  any  description,  and  without 
mortice  or  tenon,  or  any  cutting  of  the  plank  other  than 
by  the  auger.  The  trellises  are  closely  boarded  on  the  out- 
side, and  the  whole  is  covered  with  a  handsome  shingled 
roof,  resting  on  the  top  string  pieces.  The  bridge  is  to  be 
lighted  in  the  day  by  six  dead  lights  in  the  sides,  and  six 
glazed  sky-lights  in  the  roof;  and  in  the  night  by  largo 
lamps,  suspended  from  the  centre  of  the  beam  over  head." 

The  contractors  for  erecting  the  bridge,  are  Mr.  Isaac 
Damons  and  Mr.  Lyman  Kingsley  of  Northampton,  Mass. ; 
to  the  former  of  v/hom  we  are  indebted  for  the  above  de- 


scription  of  the  bridge.  The  stone  work  is  under  the 
superintendence  of  Mr.  Isaac  Silsby  of  Charlestown.  It  is 
estimated  that  the  expense  of  the  bridge  will  be  twelve 
thousand  dollars. 

About  a  mile  from  the  village,  and  on  the  spot  where 
Spafford's  mills  were  burned  in  1746,  and  again  in  1757, 
and  where  recently  stood  the  mills,  erected  in  1804  by 
Oliver  Hall,  Esq.,  there  is  now  in  erection  by  his  son,  Mr. 
Horace  Hall,  a  grist  mill  of  a  superior  structure,  and  of 
durable  materials.    The  edifice  is  a  square,  the  breadth  of 
its  sides  40  feet,  and  its  height  on  the  west  end  is  80  feet. 
The  materials  of  the  front  and  corners  are  granite  and  the 
residue  of  stone  from  the  neighboring  hills.    The  whole 
edifice  is  founded  on  a  rock,  and  during  the  preparations 
for  the  foundation,  were  discovered  among  the  rubbish, 
fragments  of  the  mills  burnt  by  the  Indians.    The  diame- 
ter of  the  waterwheel  is  28  feet;  and  its  weight  about  six 
tons.    The  extent  of  the  fall  is  between  40  and  50  feet, 
and  the  borders  on  the  stream  beneath  are  beautifully 
variegated  by  trees  and  shrubs;  the  whole  in  the  direction 
of  the  stream  exhibiting  a  peculiariy  romantic  appearance. 
In  the  village  of  Charlestown  are  two  libraries,  one  con- 
sisting of  about  400  volumes  and  the  other  of  480. 

Of  the  religious  character  of  Chariestown,  it  is  reported 
to  have  been  said  by  way  of  reproach,  that  they  cared  too 
little  for  religion  even  to  quarrel  about  it.  That  they  care 
too  little;  that  they  manifest  far  less,  than  the  desirable 
interest  in  the  subject,  it  would  be  presumptuous  to  deny; 
but  that  they  are,  in  such  deficiencies,  a  peculiar  people,  it 
would  be  equally  presumptuous  to  suppose.  We  cannot 
but  hope,  that  no  inconsiderable  portion  in  their  apparent 
failure  in  the  comparison,  sometimes  made,  arises  from 
their  impression,  that  religion  was  designed  for  salutary 
effect  rather  than  for  display;  that  it  is  its  chief  purpose 
to  make  and  preserve  the  heart  right  with  God,  and  not  to 
secure  the  observation  of  man;  that  its  best  display  is  the 
work  of  righteousness.    We  have  adverted  to  the  general 


disposition  of  the  people  to  lead  quiet  and  peaceable  lives; 
but  whether  they  do  it  in  godliness  and  honesty,  must  be 
determined  before  a  tribunal,  at  which  neither  they,  nor 
their  accusers,  are  to  preside. 
Charlestown,  October,  1833. 


EXPLANATORY 

The  cut  of  the  South  Parish  Church  completed  in  1798 
shows  the  Walker  house,  Church,  Darrah  Tavern,  Sylves- 
ter's Store,  and  glimpses  of  the  Eagle  Hotel  and  Jail.  This 
cut,  also  the  one  showing  the  Church  and  Darrah  Tavern 
which  were  burned  in  1842  were  made  from  old  drawings. 

The  cuts  of  village  homes  and  streets  were  used  through 
the  courtesy  of  the  Advocate  Press  of  Claremont,  N.  H. 
The  house  owned  by  Miss  Clapp  is  the  old  Gov.  Hubbard 
mansion;  that  owned  by  A.  T.  Morse,  as  a  summer  home, 
is  the  old  Benj.  West  place,  later  owned  by  Geo.  Olcott; 
that  of  Mrs.  W.  H.  Labaree  is  on  the  site  of  the  old  Fort. 
The  Memorial  Boulder  and  Tablet  marking  this  spot  was 
placed  in  August,  1904  on  the  150th.  anniversary  of  the  cap- 
ture of  the  Johnson  family. 

The  historic  Eagle  Hotel  was  burned  in  December,  1904. 

The  original  Johnson  house  forms  a  part  of  that  now  oc- 
cupied by  John  Fish. 

The  Evans  House,  which  for  a  time  was  the  home  of  Miss 
Pratt's  School  for  Girls,  was  burned  in  1891. 


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